Bolesław Ignacy Florian Wieniawa-Długoszowski (22 July 1881 – 1 July 1942) was a Polish

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

, adjutant to Chief of State

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Naczelnik państwa, Chief of State (1918–1922) and Marshal of Poland, First Marshal of Second Polish Republic, Poland (from 1920). He was ...

, politician, freemason, diplomat,

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

, artist and formally for one day the

President of the Republic of Poland The president of Poland ( pl, Prezydent RP), officially the president of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), is the head of state of Poland. Their rights and obligations are determined in the Constitution of Polan ...

. He was one of the generation that fought for and saw the rebirth of an independent Poland on 11 November 1918 (

National Independence Day National Independence Day ( pl, Narodowe Święto Niepodległości) is a national day in Poland celebrated on 11 November to commemorate the anniversary of the restoration of Poland's sovereignty as the Second Polish Republic in 1918 from the G ...

), only to see that independence lost again after the 1939 division of Poland between

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

and the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

pursuant to the

Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that enabled those powers to partition Poland between them. The pact was signed in Moscow on 23 August 1939 by German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ri ...

Before World War I

Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski was born 22 July 1881 on his family's estate in Maksymówka near Stanisławów in Galicia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, (now Ivano-Frankivsk in the

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

), the son of Bolesław Długoszowski (a railway engineer, who built the railway from

Tarnów Tarnów () is a city in southeastern Poland with 105,922 inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of 269,000 inhabitants. The city is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999. From 1975 to 1998, it was the capital of the Tarn� ...

Krynica-Zdrój Krynica-Zdrój (until 31 December 2001 Krynica, rue, Крениця, uk, Криниця) is a town in Nowy Sącz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. It is inhabited by over eleven thousand people. It is the biggest spa town in ...

via

Bobowa Bobowa ( yi, בּאָבּאָוו, ''Bobov'') is a small town in Gorlice County, southern Poland. Administratively part of the Lesser Polish Voivodeship, it is situated west of Gorlice and south-east of the regional capital Kraków. It was for ...

) and Józefina, '' née'' Struszkiewicz. He had an elder brother Kazimierz and two sisters; Teofila (Michalewska) the grandmother of Inka Bokiewicz, the girl who first adopted Wojtek the bear and Zofia (Kubicka). In 1877, his family bought the manor house in

. Bobowa, (

Bobov Bobov (or Bobover Hasidism) ( he, חסידות באבוב, yi, בּאָבּאָװ) is a Hasidic community within Haredi Judaism, originating in Bobowa, Galicia, in southern Poland, and now headquartered in the neighborhood of Borough Park, in Br ...

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

), was a centre of

Hassidic Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...

life in Poland. There were good relations between the Jews of Bobowa and the Długoszowski family (Kazimierz, the elder brother, appears with Grand Rabbi Ben Zion Halberstam on the cover of the book "Jewish Society in Poland"). There Bolesław spent his early life. He attended secondary school in Lwów, then he moved to a school in Nowy Sącz, graduating in 1900. Subsequently, he studied medicine at Jan Kazimierz University (currently Lviv University) in Lwów, graduating with high distinction in 1906. In 1906 he married his first wife, the singer Stephania Calvas. After his studies, he moved to

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

, where he spent a year studying at the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. After completing his degree there in 1907, he moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, where he worked as a private physician. Between 1907 and 1914, he lived in

Montparnasse Montparnasse () is an area in the south of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail. Montparnasse has bee ...

sharing to the full in the bohemian life of Paris, mixing with the Polish artist living there, many of whom were members of the

Young Poland Young Poland ( pl, Młoda Polska) was a modernist period in Polish visual arts, literature and music, covering roughly the years between 1890 and 1918. It was a result of strong aesthetic opposition to the earlier ideas of Positivism. Young Pol ...

movement. In 1911 he was a founder, with the sculptor of the Association of Polish Artists (''Towarzystwo Artystów Polskich''). In 1912 he formed the "cercle parisien des sciences militaires" with , Andrzej Strug and others. The next year this group joined the main Riflemen's Association (''Związek Strzelecki "Strzelec"''), where he met

in December 1913.

1914–42

In 1914, he moved to

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

and joined the First Cadre Company, which fought on the Austro-Hungarian side against

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

. In October 1914 he became a commander of a platoon of a squadron in . During the fighting in 1914–1915, he was promoted to lieutenant, and after the war he was awarded the V-Class

Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', pl, Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was created in 1792 by Polish King St ...

. In August 1915, he moved to the special group in Warsaw. Soon he became an aide-de-camp to

. In 1918, he was sent on a mission to Russia. He was given three tasks: persuade General

Józef Haller Józef Haller von Hallenburg (13 August 1873 – 4 June 1960) was a lieutenant general of the Polish Army, a legionary in the Polish Legions, harcmistrz (the highest Scouting instructor rank in Poland), the president of the Polish Scouti ...

's army, then in the Ukraine, to back Piłsudski (he failed in this task); reach the French military mission in Moscow under General Lavergne (he succeeded in this task); and return from Moscow to Paris to liaise with the government there. Unfortunately, he was arrested by the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

Cheka as a member of the

Polish Military Organisation The Polish Military Organisation, PMO ( pl, Polska Organizacja Wojskowa, POW) was a secret military organization which formed during World War I (1914-1918). Józef Piłsudski founded the group in August 1914; it adopted the name ''POW'' in Novem ...

while on a French diplomatic train on its way from Moscow to

Murmansk Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') ...

(and Paris). He was imprisoned in the

Taganka prison Taganka Prison (Russian: Таганская тюрьма) was built in Moscow in 1804 by Alexander I, emperor of Russia.Katrina Marie"Taganka: The Haunts of Intelligentsia and Blue-Collar Grit"''Passport Moscow''. Retrieved December 5, 2011 It gaine ...

. He was freed thanks to the intervention of his future wife, Bronisława Wieniawa-Długoszowska, with the much-feared Cheka operative Yakovleva, then in charge of the prison. Bronisława, née Kliatchkin, was at that time married to the lawyer , the lawyer of Felix Dzerzhinsky, the head of the Cheka. She was a Lutheran, her family having converted from the Jewish faith when she was eight. He married her in a Lutheran ceremony on 2 October 1919 at

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

''zbór'' in Nowy Gawłów. The marriage register records the details from her false French passport, including "Lalande" as her maiden name. As aide-de-camp of

during the Polish-Soviet War he helped him organize the Vilna Operation and Battle of Warsaw. He was also a commander of 1st Cavalry Division. After the war, Wieniawa was awarded many medals (including the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

Cross of Valor The Cross of Valour ( pl, Krzyż Walecznych) is a Polish military decoration. It was first introduced by the Council of National Defense on 11 August 1920. It is awarded to an individual who "has demonstrated deeds of valour and courage on the fi ...

and

Cross of Independence Cross of Independence ( pl, Krzyż Niepodległości) was second highest Polish military decorations between World Wars I and II. It was awarded to individuals who had fought actively for the independence of Poland, and was released in three cl ...

). Throughout the interwar years, he was a key figure in Warsaw literary and social life. He had a table reserved for him with leading Warsaw literary figures, such as Julian Tuwim and Jan Lechoń, at the mezzanine of the café . In a famous anecdote, Aleksander Wat recounts how, when Wat was imprisoned, by the government of the Second Polish Republic for his literary activities (he was the publisher of the crypto-communist magazine ), he received, in prison, a hamper of vodka and caviar from Wieniawa. The purpose of that story, in Wat's memoirs "My century", is to contrast his treatment at the hands of the Second Polish Republic with the vicious and barbaric treatment he was to receive in Soviet prisons during the war. In November 1921, Wieniawa became the Polish military attaché in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

. He was associated with making the Polish-Romanian convention which was signed in 1922. In 1926 he passed his exams in High War School. He soon became a commander of , the most prestigious and representative Polish cavalry division, which he commanded until 1930. During the May Coup of 1926, he was one of Piłsudski's officers who helped him to organise the coup. In 1930–32, he was commander of I Cavalry Division and, for some time, of II Cavalry Division. In 1932, he was promoted by President Ignacy Mościcki to the rank of . He was commander of the , from 1932 to 14 May 1938. In 1938 he was promoted to Major-General, . From 1938 to 13 June 1940, he was the Polish Ambassador in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

One-day presidency

On 17 September 1939, he was nominated president of Poland by the retiring President Ignacy Mościcki. On the same day, Poland was invaded by the Soviet Union, and he took the train from Rome to

to take on his new role. His appointment was published in the ''Official Journal'', ''Monitor Polski'', on 25 September 1939. His appointment was blackballed by the

French Third Republic The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 19 ...

and also opposed by

Władysław Sikorski Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski (; 20 May 18814 July 1943) was a Polish military and political leader. Prior to the First World War, Sikorski established and participated in several underground organizations that promoted the cause for Polish i ...

. After the capitulation of France, he emigrated to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

by travelling via Lisbon. Many sources do not list Wieniawa as president but merely as "designated successor". However, according to the then constitution, when the President cannot execute his powers (as when Mościcki was interned in

and it was clear that he would not be released unless he resigned), the designated successor automatically became president. After receiving appointment or becoming president, Wieniawa-Długoszowski asked Cardinal

August Hlond August Hlond (July 5, 1881 – October 22, 1948) was a Polish cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, who was Archbishop of Poznań and Gniezno in 1926 and Primate of Poland. He was then appointed as the Archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw in 194 ...

to become

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

. Hlond refused and referred to Wieniawa as "Mr. President". Also, in a press statement from President

Lech Wałęsa Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who served as the President of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 election, Wałęsa became the first democrati ...

's press secretary on 21 September 1994 to ''Dziennik Polski'', Wieniawa-Długoszowski was referred to as one of the legitimate presidents-in-exile. According to some opinions, Mościcki had meant to pass his office to Wieniawa-Długoszowski as caretaker until the office could be assumed by a candidate acceptable to both

Sanacja Sanation ( pl, Sanacja, ) was a Polish political movement that was created in the interwar period, prior to Józef Piłsudski's May 1926 ''Coup d'État'', and came to power in the wake of that coup. In 1928 its political activists would go on ...

and opposition circles, General

Kazimierz Sosnkowski General Kazimierz Sosnkowski (; Warsaw, 19 November 1885 – 11 October 1969, Arundel, Quebec) was a Polish independence fighter, general, diplomat, and architect. He was a major political figure and an accomplished commander, notable in p ...

, whose whereabouts were unknown in September 1939. Finally, after Wieniawa's resignation, a compromise candidate,

Władysław Raczkiewicz Władysław Raczkiewicz (; 28 January 1885 – 6 June 1947) was a Polish politician, lawyer, diplomat and President of Poland- in-exile from 1939 until his death in 1947. Until 1945, he was the internationally recognized Polish head of st ...

, was chosen.

Death

Once in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, Wieniawa-Długoszowski settled in New York City. Unable to get any position in the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stre ...

from

since he was part of the Piłsudskiist Sanation Movement, which had ruled Poland from 1926 to 1939, which ikorski had opposed (Sikorski organised a coup against Wieniawa in 1939). He moved to Detroit, where he was appointed editor-in-chief of Frank Januszewski's ''Dziennik Polski (Detroit)''. Finally, on 18 April 1942, Sikorski appointed Wieniawa minister plenipotentiary to the governments of Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Haiti, based in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

. On 20 June 1942 the National Committee of Americans of Polish Extraction (KNAPP) was founded in New York, with Wieniawa listed as a founder. KNAPP was strongly for retaining Poland's eastern territories, was critical of Sikorsk, and was entirely distrustful of Stalin. Wieniawa, after moving back to New York, caught between these two opposing forces, committed suicide on 1 July 1942. Some sources say he committed suicide by leaping from an upper story of his New York city residence ( 3 Riverside Drive), but the exact details of his death are debated among historians. He left a suicide note. One month later, on 14 August 1942, the Jewish ghetto in his home village of

was liquidated; about 700 inhabitants were killed in a mass execution in the Garbacz Forest. Wieniawa's remains were brought back to

for reburial in the

Rakowicki Cemetery Rakowicki Cemetery (English: ; pl, Cmentarz Rakowicki) is a historic necropolis and a cultural heritage monument located on 26 Rakowicka Street in the centre of Kraków, Poland. It lies within the Administrative District No. 1 ''Stare Miasto'' ...

, on 27 September 1990, where he now lies with his fallen comrades from the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Polish Legions.

Honours and awards

Polish

* Order of the White Eagle *

Order of St. Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Ponia ...

* Knight's Cross of the

, Virtuti Militari class V Silver (November 1921) * Cross of Valour, four times *

Cross of Independence with Swords Cross of Independence ( pl, Krzyż Niepodległości) was second highest Polish military decorations between World Wars I and II. It was awarded to individuals who had fought actively for the independence of Poland, and was released in three cl ...

(May 1931) * Commander's Cross of the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievement ...

(March 1934), Commander's Cross with star (November 1938) (previously awarded the Officer's Cross) * Gold Cross of Merit * Decades of Independence Medal Regained * Golden Laurel of the

Polish Academy of Literature The Polish Academy of Literature ( pl, Polska Akademia Literatury, PAL) was one of the most important state institutions of literary life in the Second Polish Republic, operating between 1933 and 1939 with the headquarters in Warsaw. It was foun ...

Academic merit for literature, (November 1936).

Foreign

* Imperial Order of Leopold (Austria) *

Military Order of Max Joseph The Military Order of Max Joseph (german: Militär-Max-Joseph-Orden) was the highest military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria. The order came in th ...

(Bavaria) * Officer (1921) then Commander (1937) of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

(France) * Military Order of Maria Theresa (Austro-Hungarian Empire) *

Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius The Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius is an award conferred by the Republic of Bulgaria. History It has had three incarnations : * first on 18 May 1909 by the Kingdom of Bulgaria, * second on 13 December 1950 by the People's Republic of Bulga ...

(Bulgaria) *

Croix de guerre 1914–1918 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

(France) * Knight of the

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...

(Holy See) * Grand Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy) (December 1937) * Commander of the

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five r ...

(October 1922) * Commander of the

Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary) The Military Merit Cross (german: Militärverdienstkreuz, hu, Katonai Érdemkereszt, hr, Vojni križ za zasluge) was a decoration of the Empire of Austria and, after the establishment of the Dual Monarchy in 1867, the Empire of Austria-Hungary ...

* Commander of the Order of the White Eagle (Yugoslavia) * Commander of the

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars ( lv, Triju Zvaigžņu ordenis) is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvija ...

(Latvia), (November 1927) * 10th Anniversary Commemorative Medal Fight for Liberation of the Republic of Latvia (July 1928) * Grand Commander of the Order of Merit (Hungary), Cross of Merit 2nd class with star (January 1929)

References

Bibliography

By Wieniawa * * * * * * * * * * * Wieniawa's songs * * * * ;About Wieniawa * * * * * * * * * Books about his period in France 1907-1914 * * * * Books about the period as ambassador in Rome and the "President for a day" episode * * * * * * * Books about his period in America * * Books mainly of photographs * * Films Wieniawa helped to make * * Films about Wieniawa * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wieniawa-Dlugoszowski, Boleslaw 1881 births 1942 deaths People from Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast People from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria Clan of Wieniawa Polish Austro-Hungarians Sanacja politicians Presidents of Poland Diplomats of the Second Polish Republic Ambassadors of Poland to Cuba Ambassadors of Poland to Italy Polish generals Polish Military Organisation members Polish legionnaires (World War I) Polish people of the Polish–Soviet War People of the Polish May Coup (pro-Piłsudski side) Polish Freemasons Knights of the Virtuti Militari Recipients of the Virtuti Militari Commanders with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Cross of Independence with Swords Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland) Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) Recipients of the Military Order of Max Joseph Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Commanders of the Order of the Star of Romania Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (military) Knights of the Holy Sepulchre Polish politicians who committed suicide Suicides by jumping in New York City Burials at Rakowicki Cemetery Polish military attachés Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)